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Robert Murray, chairman, president and chief executive of
Murray Energy Corp., also blasted the federal government's mine safety agency
for "outrageous" new fines that he warned could put some miners out
of business.
"There is no question that the majority party in this
country wants to eliminate the coal industry," Murray told the
McCloskey's Coal USA conference, adding that some Republicans were also
advocating tough measures.
A prominent environmentalist was quick to dismiss the
remarks. "We don't see a conflict between protecting the climate and
continuing to use reasonable amounts of coal," David Hawkins, a climate
expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in an interview.
Murray, who said he was giving testimony to the Senate's
Environment and Public Works Committee on Thursday, warned that proposed
restrictions on carbon emissions would severely hurt the coal industry, which
supplies the fuel for approximately 50 percent of America's electricity
generation.
Congress is considering several bills that aim to fight
global warming by putting tough limits on greenhouse gases. Supporters say
the bills would provide incentives for companies to invest in technology to
cut emissions.
"This climate change issue is a human issue,"
Murray said, paraphrasing what he said he would tell the Senate committee chaired
by Sen. Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California.
"The present course of action that is proposed will
result in little environmental benefit, but will destroy the lives of
America's working families."
Murray said some studies estimated that reducing coal use
would lead to the loss of 3 million to 4 million jobs in the United States.
However, many environmentalists, companies and politicians
say new technologies like alternative energy and capturing carbon at power
plants for disposal underground would create a wave of new jobs.
"I fundamentally disagree with Mr. Murray that coal
has to be a loser in this area," said Hawkins, a proponent of carbon
capture who is also testifying at the hearing on Thursday. "The money
that we spend protecting the climate is not going to go to another planet,
it's going to stay right here ... creating incentives and new investment
opportunities."
Murray told Reuters after his talk that carbon capturing
technology is a good idea, but that it is expensive and has almost "no
commitment from the government to get it off the ground."
He also criticized the Labor Department's Mine Safety and
Health Administration for high fines against coal producers as a result of
tougher enforcement of regulations.
Murray said one mining company recently was fined $400,000
and another $11,700 because a fire boss drew an arrow pointing in the wrong
direction on an air vent.
His own company, which produces approximately 30 million
tons of coal per year, was fined $48,000 for having a small amount of coal
dust on a roller, Murray said.
"The fines are outrageous ... and will take a lot of
producers down because we can't pass them on to our customers," he said.
The MSHA has tightened up regulations following last
year's Sago mine disaster in West Virginia in which 12 miners died in a fire.
"Almost all federal mine safety and health laws exist
because miners have lost their lives, still almost all serious accidents and
fatalities occur due to failure to comply with these existing laws,"
Richard Stickler, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health,
said in a statement.
"We feel strongly that higher penalties will induce
operators to prevent and correct violations and be more proactive in their overall
approach to miner safety and health," he said.
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